The Gandak irrigation canal and its bridges in Parsa and Bara districts are in disrepair due to a lack of regular maintenance.

There are 22 small and big bridges spanning the canal across Parsa and Bara. Among them, three—the Bangari River bridge in Pheta Rural Municipality of Bara, Sirsiya River bridge in Birgunj Metropolitan City in Parsa, and the Oriya River bridge in Jagarnathpur Rural Municipality in Parsa—are so dilapidated that they could collapse at any moment.

The Indian government constructed the canal, along with its bridges and supporting structures, in two phases between 1975 and 1976 as part of the Gandak Agreement, and later handed them over to Nepal.

The irrigation canal draws water from the Narayani (Gandak) barrage in Nawalparasi via Janakitola of Parsa and empties in the Bagmati River in Rautahat. The 81-km canal was designed to irrigate around 31,400 hectares of farmlands in Parsa, Bara and Rautahat districts.

However, officials at the Narayani Irrigation Management Office in Birgunj, which manages the Gandak canal and its structures, admit that the water from the canal reaches only half the targeted area.

The Indian side releases water into the canal from the barrage built on the Nepal-India border at Bhainsalotan in Nawalparasi. The canal enters Nepal at Janakitol in Parsa after covering around 92 km through Indian territory.

The approach road running alongside the canal and the bridges on that road have been used by the residents of all the three districts as an alternative road to the Postal Highway.

Although the federal government recently blacktopped this approach road from Rautahat to Parsa, no plans are in place to repair or replace the dilapidated bridges. After the road upgrade, vehicular traffic has increased significantly on the approach road, putting even more strain on the already fragile bridges.

The bridges built over the Gandak canal are in a state of disrepair due to negligence from both the government and locals. Originally built to handle only light-weight vehicles, the bridges have suffered severe damage due to the regular movement of heavy-duty trucks, tippers, and passenger buses carrying loads beyond their capacity.

Technicians blame the deteriorating condition of the bridges on these heavy vehicles, which cross daily with no regard for the weight limits clearly posted on signboards put up at both ends of the bridges.

The canal's approach road from Parsa to Rautahat serves as a crucial alternative lifeline for the three districts connecting them to the Postal Highway. "This approach road is vital for the locals. The bridges should be repaired to keep the area accessible," said Prakash Tharu of Birgunj.

If even one of these bridges collapses, residents of rural areas of Bara, Parsa and Rautahat will face huge difficulties. The road is especially important for farmers exporting agricultural products.

In the past 15 years, the Jagarnathpur area in Birgunj has turned into an industrial hub, with a constant flow of goods carriers using the approach road. Since the Sirsia river bridge is in such a weakened state, a collapse could also disrupt the industrial area.

Before the restoration of democracy in 1990, the canal's approach road was used exclusively for office use. Following the political change, however, the road was opened to the public. But the authorities have not carried out routine maintenance of the bridges despite the marked increase in traffic since then.

The management of the Gandak canal and its structures falls under the Narayani Irrigation Management Office in Birgunj. Suresh Prasad Sah, the information officer at the office, admits that three of the 22 bridges along the canal’s approach road are in poor condition.

"If the bridges across the Bangri, Sirsia and Oriya rivers are not repaired immediately, they could collapse at any time," he warned. "Unfortunately, our office doesn’t have a separate budget for bridge maintenance or construction. We are only responsible for the operation and routine maintenance of the canal system," he added.

According to Sah, the entire canal system, not just the bridges, is aging and in need of urgent repair. "The lifespan of the canal and most of its structures is around 50 years, and it’s been about 45 years since they were built," he said.

According to Sah, the Narayani Irrigation Management Office in Birgunj has already written to the Department of Water Resources and Irrigation, requesting the preparation of a detailed project report and budget estimates for the reconstruction and repair of the canal system.

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PHOTO:

The Gandak canal in this undated photo. Officials say 22 bridges along the canal are in urgent need of repair. The 81-km canal was designed to irrigate around 31,400 hectares of farmlands in Parsa, Bara and Rautahat districts. POST PHOTO